BLM Approves Tungsten Mountain Geothermal Exploration Project

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Carson City District-Stillwater Field Office has approved a Tungsten Mountain Geothermal Exploration Project proposed by Ormat Technologies Inc., in Edwards Creek Valley, Churchill County, approximately 60 miles east of Fallon, Nev.

The proposed geothermal exploration project consists of 610 acres of public lands within the lease area. The EA analyzes potential impacts from the proposed exploration and testing activities proposed by Ormat. The primary objective of the project is to further evaluate the characteristics of the geothermal resources in the Tungsten Mountain Project Area.

The proposed activities include:

• Constructing 27 exploration well drill pads • Construct and maintain a 5-acre mineral material pit • Constructing, improving or maintaining access roads • Drilling and completing an exploration well to a depth of about 7,000 feet from each of the constructed drill pads • Flow testing exploration wells to obtain samples of geothermal fluids and to collect aquifer information from the geothermal reservoir • Drilling temporary water wells at one or more proposed drill

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's mission is to manage and conserve the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations under our mandate of multiple-use and sustained yield. In Fiscal Year 2013, the BLM generated $4.7 billion in receipts from public lands.